Electronic circuitry

1. Electronic circuitry comprising active switching operational circuits requiring timing signals, and a conductive distribution means for distributing said timing signals to the operational circuits, wherein the distribution means includes a signal path exhibiting endless electromagnetic continuity affording a signal phase inversion and having an associated regenerative active means so as to serve as a source of said timing signals.

2. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , comprising a semiconductor integrated circuit having an active area with features presenting the operational circuits and the distribution means, including the signal path and its associated regenerative active means together serving as the source of said timing signals.

3. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative active means provides switching action relative to two supply voltage levels.

4. Electronic circuitry according to claim 3 , wherein the regenerative active means provides amplifying action during said switching.

5. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative active means provides inverting action relative to said timing signals in the signal path.

6. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative active means is a bidirectional active means so that said timing signals will have bipolar differential components available anywhere along the signal path at 180 out-of-phase.

7. Electronic circuitry according to claim 6 , wherein the signal path makes more than one loop in its endless electromagnetic continuity so that said timing signal is available in poly-phase components including quadrature for one additional loop of the same sense.

8. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative active means is physically localized at one position along length of the signal path so that said timing signal will be of standing wave nature.

9. Electronic circuitry according claim 6 , wherein the bidirectional active means never reaches fully on or fully off states so that said standing wave timing signal is substantially sinusoidal, and the regenerative active means is physically localized at one position along length of the signal path so that said timing signal will be of standing wave nature.

10. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative active means is physically distributed along length of the signal path so that said timing signal is a recirculating travelling wave timing signal.

11. Electronic circuitry according to claim 10 , wherein the regenerative active means further comprises plural inverting amplifiers spaced along the signal path.

12. Electronic circuitry according to claim 11 , wherein the regenerative active means is a bidirectional active means so that said timing signals will have bipolar differential components available anywhere along the signal path at 180 out-of-phase, and the bidirectional active means reaches fully on and fully off states in relatively short parts of time taken for said travelling wave timing signal to traverse the signal path so that such timing signal is substantially rectangular.

13. Electronic circuitry according to claim 10 , wherein the regenerative active means has input/output terminals connected across the signal path affording endless electromagnetic continuity of DC interconnection of the terminals with no stable DC operating point.

14. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the signal path is of transmission-line nature for signals of transverse electromagnetic wave form.

15. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the regenerative means serves to top up low energy losses from low impedance of electromagnetically endless said signal path.

16. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the signal path is of transmission-line nature and includes a transmission-line transformer means affording said signal phase inversion.

17. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the signal path is a transmission-line signal path comprising spaced generally parallel conductive formations on a substrate with cross-over connection of conductor formations providing a single endless conductive length.

18. Electronic circuitry according to claim 17 , wherein the transmission-line signal path is a structure of co-planar microstrip/microstrip nature.

19. Electronic circuitry according to claim 18 , wherein the transmission-line signal path comprises spaced conductive traces sandwiched by dielectric layers and affording differential-mode timing signals.

20. Electronic circuitry according to claim 19 , wherein the dielectric layers are sandwiched by conductive layers affording shielding and/or enabling common-mode timing signals.

21. Electronic circuitry according to claim 19 , wherein capactive and/or inductive reactance of the transmission-line signal path is determined by particular geometry of the conductive traces and their spacing along their lengths.

22. Electronic circuitry according to claim 21 , wherein the geometry is locally varied as may be required to accommodate reactance of connections to the traces.

23. Electronic circuitry according to claim 16 , wherein the signal path has an electrical length of substantially 180-degree and the regenerative means is bidirectional inverting switching and amplifying means.

24. Electronic circuitry according to claim 23 , wherein the regenerative means comprises back-to-back inverters.

25. Electronic circuitry according to claim 24 , wherein the inverters are P-channel and N-channel Mosfet circuits.

26. Electronic circuitry according to claim 25 , wherein the inverters switch sequentially in one direction around the signal path and are connected to supply voltage lines for passage thereto of energy received from next inverter switching so as to reinforce recirculating traversal of the signal path.

27. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the signal path further comprises a cross-connection having an electrical length of substantially half that of the signal path.

28. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , wherein the signal path has extent affording physical adjacency to the operational circuits and close electrical connectivity therefor directly to the signal path.

29. Electronic circuitry according to claim 28 , further comprising electrical connections to the signal path for signal supply to the operational circuits.

30. Electronic circuitry according to claim 29 , wherein the connections are by way of capacitive stubs from the signal path, which is a transmission-line signal path.

31. Electronic circuitry according to claim 30 , wherein the capacitive stubs are spaced evenly along the transmission-line signal path.

32. Electronic circuitry according to claim 29 , wherein the connections are by way of Mosfet inverters.

33. Electronic circuitry according to claim 1 , comprising plural signal paths.

34. Electronic circuitry according to claim 33 , wherein at least two of said plural signal paths are intercoupled to operate synchronously by sharing of magnetic and/or electric fields.

35. Electronic circuitry according to claim 33 , wherein at least two said signal paths have a common part with an impedance substantially half that of remainders of the two signal paths.

36. Electronic circuitry according to claim 33 , wherein at least two said signal paths are interconnected to operate synchronously.

37. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein a self-synchronizing interconnection between said signal paths intended to operate at substantially same frequency is provided via passive circuit means affording light bidirectional coupling.

38. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein a self-synchronizing interconnection between said signal paths intended to operate at different frequencies having odd harmonic relation is provided via inverter means poled so that a higher frequency is not affecting a lower frequency.

39. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein said interconnected signal paths have impedances to assure substantial match of energy into and out of an interconnection concerned.

40. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein the signal paths have spaced conductors in loops that are interconnected or intercoupled at matching positions along electrical lengths of their loops relative to means for imposing signla phase inversion.

41. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein said plural signal paths are interconnected directly at mutual electrical lengths of matching multiples of 45-degrees.

42. Electronic circuitry according to claim 36 , wherein the signal paths are located one within another and have parameter differences to harmonize times of signal traverse.

43. Electronic circuitry according to claim 41 , wherein said operational circuits are located in an area corresponding to a nominally rectangular grid array, and said signal paths correspond with areas along rows and columns of said rectangular grid that alternate with intervening areas also serviceable for signal supply for timing purposes.

44. Electronic circuitry according to claim 33 , wherein at least one of said signal paths is connected to another path or to an array thereof by way of at least one transmission-line connection having an electrical length nominally of 180 degrees or an odd multiple so as substantially to secure a frequency and phase lock.

45. Electronic circuitry according to claim 44 , wherein two said transmission-line connections serve substantially to secure desired lock of direction of signal path traversing by respective timing signals.

46. Electronic circuitry according to claim 10 , wherein at least one connection made to said signal path is of short-circuit nature with an electrical length of substantially 90 degrees.

47. Electronic circuitry according to claim 10 , wherein at least one connection made to said signal path is of open-circuit nature with an electrical length of substantially 180 degrees.

48. Semiconductor integrated electronic circuit comprising an operational circuitry of active switching nature requiring timing signals, and a conductive distribution means for distributing said timing signals to the operational circuitry, wherein a part of the distribution means is a signal path exhibiting endless electromagnetic continuity affording signal phase inversion and having an associated regenerative active means so as to serve as a source of said timing signals.

49. Electronic circuitry comprising at least two semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), each in accordance with claim 48 , for similar signal for timing purposes, and having an IC-interconnection between the signal paths of the ICs over an electrical length and at positions of the signal paths to coordinate frequency and phase coherence of the ICs and to obtain coordinated timing signals.

50. Electronic circuitry according to claim 49 , wherein the IC interconnection has an electrical length substantially equal to the electrical length of the signal paths or an odd multiple thereof.

51. Electronic circuitry according to claim 49 , wherein a phase difference at said positions of said interconnection of the ICs corresponds to the electrical length of their signal paths.

52. Electronic circuitry according to claim 49 , further comprising a second different IC interconnection, which serves further to define directions of said timing signals along their signal paths.

53. An electronic pulse generator circuit comprising a signal path exhibiting endless electromagnetic continuity affording signal phase inversion in setting a pulse duration within time of signal traversal of the signal path which has an associated regenerative active means for setting relatively short pulse rise and fall times at ends of each said signal traversal.

54. A travelling wave electronic oscillator circuit comprising recirculatory travelling wave propagation means affording a closed signal path for imposing phase inversion for each travelling wave circulation, and a regenerative active bidirectional switching and amplifying means operative during each circulation so that opposite voltage excursions result in successive travelling wave circulations.